Resurfaced clips of Ariana Grande’s Nickelodeon days have left fans disturbed.
The now-viral videos were pulled from the 2010 series Victorious, in which a teenage Grande portrayed the energetic red-head, Cat Valentine. One of the most-talked-about clips showed the Grammy winner grunting while using both hands to squeeze the juice out of a potato.
“Come on, give up the juice,” a young Grande said in the scene.
Other clips showed Grande gagging while sticking her finger in her mouth, biting her toes, and lying on her bed before pouring water on herself.
Although the sexually suggestive clips are more than a decade old, they began making the rounds this week after the release of Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The four-part documentary explores the longstanding allegations against Nickelodeon and Dan Schnieder, a network producer who’s been accused of inappropriate and abusive on-set behavior.
The Investigation Discovery documentary premiered Sunday, March 17, and primarily centered on Nickelodeon’s preteen and teen-focused programs, such as Zoey 101, All That, The Amanda Show, and Drake & Josh. Former child actors detailed their alleged abuse while working on Schnieder-helmed shows, which have been largely criticized for sexualizing underage talent.
Former Drake & Josh star Drake Bell agreed to be interviewed for Quiet on the Set Part 3, in which he accused a Nickloedoen staffer of sexual abuse. Bell identified the alleged predator as Brian Peck, a dialogue coach who was convicted of child sex abuse roughly 20 years ago. Peck was sentenced to 16 months behind bars in connection to Bell’s allegations and is now a registered sex offender.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him, I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me,” Bell said in the documentary. “I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation. I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera.”
Schneider addressed the allegations in a recent interview, insisting the incident left him “devastated.”
“When Drake and I talked and he told me about what happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far. And I told him, ‘I’m here for you,’” Schneider said before referencing Quiet on the Set. "Watching over the past two nights was very difficult. Me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology."
